Article holder

ABSTRACT

A pair of movable bookends are provided with an adjustable securing arrangement comprising a flexible tape having one end secured to one of the bookends and the opposite end portion wound on an automatic take-up reel device on the other of the bookends. An eccentric arm positively secures the tape on the second bookend to secure the two bookends at any desired spacing within the range allowed by the length of the tape.

United States Patent Howkinson 1541 ARTICLE HOLDER [72] Inventor: George E. Howkinson, 118 No. Peck Ave.,

La Grange, Ill. 60525 [22] Filed: Oct. 20, 1970 [21] Appl. No.: 82,406

[52] US. Cl ..211/43 [51] Int. Cl. ..A47b 65/00 [58] Field ofSearch ..211/43; 108/28 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,738,881 3/1956 Michel ..211/43 X 2,264,017 11/1941 Bowmen... ..108/28 153,227 7/1874 Walker ..-..2l1/43 51 July 25,1972

3,389,805 6/1968 Yeomans ..211/43 3,399,782 9/1968 Bascom 3,425,565 2/1969 Sprenger ..211/43 Primary ExaminerNile C. Byers, Jr. Attorney-Pendleton, Neuman, Williams & Anderson [5 7] ABSTRACT A pair of movable bookends are provided with an adjustable securing arrangement comprising a flexible tape having one end secured to one of the bookends and the opposite end portion wound on an automatic take-up reel device on the other of the bookends. An eccentric arm positively secures the tape on the second bookend to secure the two bookends at any desired spacing within the range allowed by the length of the tape.

9 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures ARTICLE HOLDER This invention pertains to adjustable supports for retaining articles therebetween and particularly pertains to an assembly of bookends including means for securing the two book supports relative to one another at any predetermined spacing.

By the very nature of their purpose, it is desirable that bookend-type supports be infinitely adjustable relative to one another to accommodate any accumulated length of materials which the user may desire to store between the two end supports. However a problem arises in preventing such supports from sliding apart, e.g., due to the lateral forces generated by tipping books, unbound papers and the like stored between the supports. Such problems are enhanced when bookends are placed on slippery or smooth surfaces such as glass desk tops, polished wood, metal or plastic, and/or when they are used with heavy books, manuscripts, catalogues or other relatively heavy items.

Various devices have been proposed for obtaining retention of opposing book supports in selected positions. These include the use of a tie member which is maintained in tension by a spring-loaded coiling device in one or both of the supports, see, e.g., Walker U. S. Pat. No. 153,227, Hoffman US. Pat. No. 1,395,825, Riddel US. Pat. No. 1,876,346, and Schreyer U.S. Pat. No. 2,284,849. Another proposal has been to utilize a tie-cord between a pair of supports, with an arrangement for snubbing the cord at each end to retain the supports in a desired spaced relationship, see, e.g., Clift U.S. Pat. No. 2,334,251. However these and other prior proposals have failed to provide the desired infinite adjustability with positive retention in a facile manner.

It is an object of this invention to provide an improved assembly for supporting articles.

It is a more specific object of this invention to provide an improved bookend assembly.

It is another object of this invention to provide a bookend assembly which has a wide range of adjustability of spacing between the respective bookends and positive securement of the two end supports at any desired relative spacing.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a bookend assembly meeting the aforenoted objects and which is not reliant upon the weight of the books or the surface upon which the assembly rests to obtain the desired positive relative positioning securement.

In carrying out this invention in one illustrative form, an assembly is provided comprising first and second members each having a surface for supportably abutting articles such as books, with the noted surface of the second member normally disposed in opposed relation to the corresponding surface of the first member for supportively engaging articles therebetween. The second member is movable relative to the first member for adjusting the spacing between the article supporting surfaces. A take-up reel is mounted on the second member, and flexible retainer means is attached to the reel and extends to and is secured to the first member. Means are provided on the second member for selectively securing the retainer means relative to this member for precluding relative spreading movement of the two support members beyond any selected spacing of the surfaces, within the range of the length of the retainer means.

For a more complete understanding of this invention, reference should now be had to the embodiment illustrated in the accompanying drawings and described below by way of an example of the invention. In the drawings,

FIG. 1 is a perspective of a bookend assembly employing teachings of this invention;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation of the assembly of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the assembly of FIG. 1, with one end support shown in changed position in dashed lines;

FIG. 4' is an enlarged perspective view of the take-up reel and clamping mechanism of the assembly of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 5 is a partial perspective view of another securing arrangement,

Referring now to the drawings, the assembly 10 includes a pair of bookend-type members 12 and 14. The two support members 12 and 14 are of similar construction. The member 12 comprises a base plate 16 and an upright section 18. Base plate 16 includes an outwardly extending portion 20 and a tongue portion 22 for extending beneath the articles, such as books, to be supported by the assembly. Upright section 18 is of an inverted U configuration, including spaced legs 24 and bight 25, with a forward book engaging surface 26, and a pair of outwardly extending reinforcement flanges 28. The support 14 similarly comprises a base 30, including an outwardly extending portion 32 and a forwardly extending tongue section 34, and an inverted U-shaped upright section 36 which includes an article engaging surface 38 and a pair of outwardly extending reinforcing flanges 40. While the two support units 12 and 14 as illustrated and described thus far may be fabricated of sheet metal, it will be appreciated that they may be of many different configurations and may be formed of a wide variety of materials.

The support member 14 is provided with a tape magazine 42 mounted on an outwardly extending portion 44 of the base plate 30. The magazine 42 includes a take-up reel for automatically retracting and storing any or all of a length of flexible tape 46 which is not deliberately withdrawn from the magazine 42 at any particular time. The magazine and take-up device may be of known construction. By way of example, in FIG. 4 there is illustrated a coil spring 48 having one end fixed to a shaft 50 secured in magazine housing 52 and its other end attached to an annular reel 54. The inner or proximal end of tape 46 is attached to reel 54, whereby the tape is retracted into housing 52 when the spring is substantially relaxed.

Withdrawal of the tape coils the spring to provide rewind force for subsequent retraction. By way of further example,

the magazine 42 and tape 46 may be of the general type known in providing retractable metal, plastic or fabric measuring tapes for carpenters, surveyors, seamstresses and others. Other retainer strips may be utilized, such as cord, wire,thong or chain, particularly if a recess is provided therefor in the bases of the support members, along with an appropriate reel. However, a flat web or tape is preferred as books or other articles may rest directly upon such materials without significantly disturbing their normal position and without marring subjacent surfaces.

The outer or distal end 46a of the tape is secured to the base 16 of member 12, as by a rivet 56.

While the take-up spring in magazine 42 should be of sufficient strength to readily retract the tape 46 when released, this spring normally is very weak as compared to the forces required to maintain the supports 12 and 14 at a predetermined spacing against spreading forces applied by heavy books or the like that may tend to tip outward.

Support member 14 also is provided with an eccentric lever or cam-type arm 58. A cross-bar 60 extends between the spaced upright sections of member 14 and carries a bracket 62 on which the arm 58 is pivotally mounted, as by a pivot pin at 64. A friction gripping element 66 is mounted on the lower end of arm 58. A friction gripping strip 68 is suitably attached to the base 30, as by adhesive or appropriate mechanical fasteners. Strip 68 is positioned beneath and slightly outward relative to the pivot pin'64, in opposed relation to gripper 66. The arm 58, including gripper 66, is of a length slightly greater than the vertical distance from pivot pin 54 to gripper strip 68.

The magazine 42 is so positioned on base 30 that the tape 46 normally extends between the gripping elements 66 and 68. Thus, arm 58 will press downward on the tape and effect oneway jam or eccentric gripping of the tape to prevent relative movement of the tape across base 30 in a direction away from magazine 42 (to the right in FIGS. 1-3). With the distal end of the tape secured to member 12, this results in securement of the two members against relative spreading movement.

The elements 66 and 68 may be of any material and/or configuration suitable for gripping the tape 46 to prevent sliding movement of the gripped tape over base 30 in a direction toward the support 12. The specific grippers utilized will be dependent somewhat upon the material and configuration of the tape. They may be of emery paper, rubber or other materials having high friction characteristics for gripping a smooth fabric, plastic or metal tape. Alternatively, as indicated in FIG. 5, one of these gripping elements may have appropriate protrusions for cooperative engagement in apertures, notches, or other openings which may be provided in tape 46. In FIG.

- 5, a modified gripper strip 58a is provided with protuberances 70 which engage apertures 72 in modified tape 46a for more positive securement.

Upon lifting arm 58, i.e., pivoting it upward about pin 64 (clockwise as seen in FIG. 2 counterclockwise as seen in FIG. 4), the two support members 12 and 14 may be adjusted laterally with respect to one another to any desired spacing between support surfaces 26 and 38 within the range of movement permitted by the length of the tape 16. The magazine 42 automatically retracts any slack tape for neat convenient storage when the supports are moved toward one another, or yields additional tape as necessary when spreading the supports, e.g., as illustrated in FIG. 3. Upon releasing the arm 58, and permitting it to pivot downward into the tape gripping position of FIGS. 1, 2, and 4, the tape will be firmly gripped on member 14 to preclude relative lateral spreading movement between the members 12 and 14. The retention of the members l2 and 14 in their desired position is obtained by the tensile strength and securement of the tape 46, and is independent of the weight of the materials being retained and the frictional engagement of the members with the subjacent surface. This assures maintenance of support surfaces 26 and 38 at the desired spacing regardless of the spreading forces applied by books or other materials supported therebetween, and even when the support members are resting on smooth or polished surfaces.

The members 12 and 14 may be moved closer to one another, to shorten the space between surfaces 26 and 38, by merely sliding the tape outwardly beneath the gripper 66 to storage in the magazine 42. Such movement is permitted without precedent release of the arm 58, due to the eccentric or jam-type gripping action of the arm 58. If desired, the reel spring in magazine 42 may be of sufficient strength to insure movement of the members 12 and 14 toward one another under the impetus of this spring whenever outward forces on surfaces 26 and 38 are released, as upon removing a book from the assembly. However in the preferred embodiment, the take-up spring is of sufficient strength only to coil slack tape 46, whereby the two members 12 and 14 will remain in any selected spaced relation to one another regardless of the removal or insertion of articles therebetween.

It will be obvious that certain other modifications of the specific embodiment shown may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention. .For instance retractable tapes and grippers may be provided on each support member, with the two tapes being joined for longer spacing requirements, or the tapes may be secured to the bases in tandem.

It will thus be seen that an assembly for supporting articles, and particularly for supporting books, has been provided which meets the objects stated above.

While a particular embodiment of this invention is shown and described herein, it will be understood, of course, that the invention is not to be limited thereto since many modifications may be made by those skilled in the art, particularly in light of the foregoing teachings. It is contemplated, therefore, by the appended claims to cover any such modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of this invention.

What is claimed is:

1. An assembly for supporting articles comprising a first member having a surface for supportably abutting such articles, a second member having a surface normally disposed in opposed relation to said surface of said first member for supportably abutting articles therebetween, said second member being movable relative to said first member for adjusting the spacing between said surfaces, a take-up reel mounted on said second member and including resilient take-up means, flexible retainer means attached to said reel and extending to and secured to said first member, and means on said second member for selectively engaging said flexible retainer means and thereby securing said retainer means relative to said second member for precluding relative spreading movement of said members beyond any selected spacing of said surfaces within the range of the length of said retainer means.

2. An assembly as in claim 1 wherein said second member comprises a bookend including a base and an upright section.

3. An assembly as in claim 2 wherein said reel is mounted on said base.

4. An assembly as in claim 1 wherein said securing means comprises means for clamping said retainer means on said second member.

5. An assembly as in claim 1 wherein said flexible retainer means comprises an elongated flat tape.

6. An assembly as in claim 4 wherein said tape is provided with openings therein, and said securing means includes protuberances engageable in said openings.

7. An assembly as in claim 1 wherein each of said members comprises a bookend including a base and an upright portion providing the respective article abutting surface.

8. An assembly as in claim 7 wherein said reelis mounted on said base of said second member.

9. An assembly as in claim 7 wherein said flexible retainer means comprises a flat tape and said securing means comprises a pivotable arm for clamping said tape against said base of said second member. 

1. An assembly for supporting articles comprising a first member having a surface for supportably abutting such articles, a second member having a surface normally disposed in opposed relation to said surface of said first member for supportably abutting articles therebetween, said second member being movable relative to said first member for adjusting the spacing between said surfaces, a take-up reel mounted on said second member and including resilient take-up means, flexible retainer means attached to said reel and extending to and secured to said first member, and means on said second member for selectively engaging said flexible retainer means and thereby securing said retainer means relative to said second member for precluding relative spreading movement of said members beyond any selected spacing of said surfaces within the range of the length of said retainer means.
 2. An assembly as in claim 1 wherein said second member comprises a bookend including a base and an upright section.
 3. An assembly as in claim 2 wherein said reel is mounted on said base.
 4. An assembly as in claim 1 wherein said securing means comprises means for clamping said retainer means on said second member.
 5. An assembly as in claim 1 wherein said flexible retainer means comprises an elongated flat tape.
 6. An assembly as in claim 4 wherein said tape is provided with openings therein, and said securing means includes protuberances engageable in said openings.
 7. An assembly as in claim 1 wherein each of said members comprises a bookend including a base and an upright portion providing the respective article abutting surface.
 8. An assembly as in claim 7 wherein said reel is mounted on said base of said second member.
 9. An assembly as in claim 7 wherein said flexible retainer means comprises a flat tape and said securing means comprises a pivotable arm for clamping said tape against said base of said second member. 